thomson



4 smu -sheet 1.

W. THOMSON.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING APPARATUS.

(No Model.)

Patented May 20, 1884.

N. PETERS. Phm-umo n hu. Washington, u

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' (No Model.)

W. THOMSON.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING APPARATUS. 798.

Patented May 20, 1884.

N. PETEFI8. mmuma w, Wnhinglun, n. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet3'.

W. THOMSON.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING APPARATUS. No. 298,798. Patented May 20, 1884.

1 N. PEIRHS. Fhewulhn m her. Washinglum D. Cv

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. THOMSON.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING APPARATUSL No. 298,798. PatentedMay 20, 1884.

marlllzrlll/lmllnllillllalzr N. PETERS. Phnto-Lilhngn hcr. Washinglbn, D46.

lhvrren Tarts Parent @rrrern \VILLIAM THOMSON, OF GLASGOl/V, COUNTY OF LANARK, SCOTLAND.

NAVIGATEONAL SOUNDBNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298;798, dated May 20, 188

Application [lied January 21 1881. (No model.) Patented in Englanl February 23, 1880, No. 781; in France August 23, 1880, No. 138,389; in Germany September 14, 1880, No. 15,128, and in Italy September 20, 1880, No. 13,4C0.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sir WILLIAM Ti-IoMsoN, Knight of Glasgow College, Doctor of Laws, and Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University and College of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, Scotland, have invented Improvements in Navigational Sounding Apparatus, (for which I have received Letters Patent of the United Kingdom of Great Brit ain and Ireland No. 781, dated the 23d day of February, 1880.) The following is the specification:

My said invention relates to improvements in navigational sounding apparatus, and has for its objects, first, to facilitate and render more expeditious the operations to be per-- formed for measuring the depth of water below a ship without reducing the speed of the ship; second, to apply with greater certainty and accuracy the desired resistance regulating the egress of the steel wire or other soundingline from the ship; third, to better preserve the steel wire from rust, and so render it more durable 5 fourth,to obtain, especially for depths of from thirty to one hundred and twenty-five fathoms, longer divisions to mark the depth than those of the scale illustrated in the specification of my patent of November 19, 1878; fifth, to obviate the necessity for lining the gage'tube with a chemical preparation to show how much water hasbeen forced into it during its descent to the bottom of the sea; sixth, to obtain an indication of the depth which shall not require correction for the height of the barometer, and which shall be less liable to error whether from temperature or from absorption of air by water than any modification of the air-pressure gage for measuring depth can be.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation, (the box being in section,) and Fig. 2 in end elepiece, a, at top. \Vhena cast is to be taken,

The wire-drum A 3 On either side of the in- I The framing a is provided with a crossthe framework a, bearing the wire-drum A, is lifted up from the box B by means of the cross-piece a, and when its feet a are level metal are firmly attached to the top edges of p the sides of the box, projecting inward over the feet and preventing the frame-work from being lifted too high, and two screws mounted in these top guards, as at b b", are screwed down upon the feet a to hold the frame-work a firmly in position while the wire-drum isin use; or wedges or other equivalent devices may be employed for this purpose. The up per part of the after end of the box is carried up sufficientl y high to form a stop to prevent the framework from being pressed too far aft after it has been raised. out of the box. The handles (Z are shown as being connected to the axle for hauling in by a bolt, (1, shot through a hole in the axle,and held therein by apinehing-sorew, d The screw d engages in a circular slot in the axle, and allows the handles to be retained, hanging loosely on the axle when the bolts (1 are withdrawn. In Fig. 1 the handle shown hangs loosely on the axle. In Fig. 2 the handles are shown fixed to the axle. A radial mark, a", is made upon each side of the drum A, which marks are in line with the holes in the axle through which the pins (1 are to pass to fix the handles to the axle. Thus by bringing the handles in line with these marks a the pins (Z can at once be passed into the said holes in the axle. The counter f is permanently attached to the bearings of the wiredrum, instead of being removable to allow the wheel to be taken off its bearings and plunged into lime-water, as mentioned in the specification of my patent of November 19', 1878. The brake for exerting the necessary resistance as the wire runs out, and for entirely braking or stopping the drum,eonsists as follows: A weight, 9, (preferably of about seven pounds,) and a weight, t, (preferably of about fourteen pounds) are respectively attached of the frame-work, which plate is shown broken away in Fig. 2. These stops 9 limit the upward and downward movement of the weight g to a range of about twoinches. Two blocksof wood, j, constituting check-blocks, are fixed on the forward outer side of the box, near the top thereof, and in such position that the brake-cord h passes down between them,

as shown. A bead, k, is clamped or tied to the brake-cord h in any suitable manner. The

position in which it is fixed is at a distancebelow the under side of the check-blocks j less than that between the upper and lower parts of the loop-stops g- In manipulating this brake-cord h in taking a cast, the operator lifts up the weight i until the bead 70 comes into contact with the under side of the check-blocks j, when the weight y will descend a corresponding distance, but not so far as to rest uponthe lower parts of thestopsg Thus during the descent of the sounding-wire the weight g hangs freely on the cord h, and a resistance to the egress of the wire of about five pounds is exerted by the friction of the said cord upon the pulley. WVhen the bottom is reached, the operator releases the weightt' and lets it hang freely, with the full brake-power exerted upon the pulley of the drum to prevent any more wire running out. The handles (1 are then at once fixed to the axle for hauling in, the weight a being lifted and the bead 7c rested upon the top of the check-blocks j, the

weight 9 moving through such a distance on this raising of the weight i as to rest by its horns g upon the lower parts of the stops g and thus the brake-cord h is loosed round the pulley of the wire-drum, and the said drum is relieved entirely from the braking action of both weights. By the use of this soundingmachine the process of lifting the frame-work and drum up out of the box and sliding it into its proper position may be performed by one man simply by grasping the cross-piece a and lifting the said frame-work and drum up to the top of the box, and then moving it horizontally aft as far as it will go. During this process he does not touch the brake-cord. The weight 6 descends while he islifting the framework through about three-fourths of the upward motion until the bead 7c rests upon the tops of the check-blocks j. After that the horizontal part of the brake-cord is relieved of tension, and does not resist the final aftward motion of the frame-work and drum. To replace the frame-work and drum in the box after a cast has been taken, the operator removes the handles (1, and then grasps the cross-piece a with one hand, next undoes the screws 1) with the other hand, and, lastly, ap-

plies this hand to the brake-cord h close above the weight i, lifts the said' weight and pulls the cord forward and upward, so as to draw the frame-work and drum from off the-supports b and then case it down into the box into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Springs, or particularly spiral springs, of galvanized steel wire may be substituted for weights at the two ends of the brake-cord with advantage when, as in sounding from boats, lightness is an object.

I attain the fourth object, and at the same time the fifth object, of my invention by an improvement upon awell-known formofdepthgage which was described by Lieutenant Jewell, of the United States Navy, in Nature for the 17th day of J anuary, A. D. 187 8, and which consisted in using a glass tube closed at one end and bent downward on the two sides of its 'middle, so as to constitute two equal parallel legs with their lower ends, one open and the other closed. When the depth exceeds five and one-half fathoms, the water is pressed to the top of the open leg and falls down into the closed one. The quantity of water found remaining in the closed leg when the gage is brought to the surface is taken as an indication of the depth. This instrument would give thoroughly-trustworthy indications if, during the whole time of its being brought up from the bottom of the sea and got on board theship, it were kept nearly enough upright to prevent any water from being expelled out of the closed leg or from flowing into it; but this instrument is liable to error, because this condition is, not fulfilled when the sounding is taken from a ship moving rapidly through the water. To remedy this defect I substitute for the glass tube bent in its middle two pieces of straight tube-one of them of glass and the other preferably of metal-with their ends covered by a cap, (by preference of metal communicating by a fine bent or angled metal tube passing through holes in the centers of these caps, so as to establish communication between the two tubes. The lower end of the glass tube is stopped by a pad or its equivalent, which can be readily removed to allow the water standing in the said glass tube to run out therefrom after the depth indicated thereby has been ascertained. The other tube is open at its lower end. If the water forcedinto the glass tube in this instrument be not more than enough to half-fill it, there will be practically no liability to error through any of the water being expelled during the ascent from the bottom; but there will be liability to such error if the said glass tube be more than half-filled with water; hence I limit the graduations for fathoms to the lower half of the glass tube, or to such length of it as experi-.

stead of the single gage described by Lieutenant Jewell, with its two legs of equal caliber.

' Thus, for example, I use three gages, of which v of five times the capacity of its glass tube, and

is suitable for the range of depths from twentyseven and one-half to sixty and one-half fathoms. The third gage has its open tube of eleven times the capacity of its glass tube, and is suitable for the range of ,depths from sixty and one-half to one hundred and twenty-six and one-half fathoms.

In Figs. 3 to 11 of the accompanying drawings I have represented a sounding-instrument consisting of three gages, in combination as hereinbefore described, Fig. 3 being an ele vation of the instrument; Fig. 4, an elevation of the group of gage-tubes removed from the casing; Fig. 5, a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of under side of the same. Fig. 7 is asection of the same,wherein the section of the envelope or casing of the instrument and its adjuncts is taken in a diametrical line, but the section of the gage-tubes is taken on the line 3 4, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a vertical section, and Fig. 9 a plan,.of theeasing and its adjuncts. Figs. 10 andll are ver' tical sections, respectively, taken on the lines 5 6 and 7 8 of Fig. 5, of the gages for the greatest and least depth, showing the communication between the two tubes of each gage. In Fig. 7 a similar view of the gage for middle depths is shown. In Fig. 1 the instrument is represented inelosed in its outer protectingsheath and attached to the sounding-line, and showing the method of fastening the instrument in this outer case.

There are three gages in the instrumentill us trated, the whole of them being attached to the cap or top piece,n, through which the communication between the two tubes of the re.-

spective gages is made, as shown clearly in Figs. 5, 7, 10, and 11. The gage for depths of eleven to twcntyseven and one-halffathoms consists of the brass tube 1) and the glass tube 112, communicating with each other by the passage 1) through the cap a. The gage for depths of from twenty-seven and one-half to sixty and onehalf fathoms consists of the brass tube q and the glass tube q", communicating by the passage Q3 through the cap a. The gage for depths of sixty and one-half to one hundred and twenty-six and one-half fathoms consists of the brass tube a and the glass tube 1", communicating with each other by the passage 1' through the cap a. The glass tubes 39 q r of the several gages are of the same capacity and of the same length. They are fixed watertight in the short tubes p W, fastened in recesses in the cap a. The communication from the brass tube to the glass tube of each gage consists of the trumpet-mouthed opening a from the brass tube to the transverse passage 19?, Q3, or 1', from which transverse passage the passage it" opens into the glass tube 12 qhior 7- the said passage 91* being formed through a cone-shaped nipple-piece projecting into; the glass tube, as shown. The tubes and cap a are slipped into the casing 8, wherein areithree slots, 8*, respectively opposite the three glass tubes 12 q, and r of the three gages, and through which the amount of water in the said glass tubes can be seen after a sounding has been taken. The said slots 8 have at their sides scales upon which are marked divisions showing the distance to which water will be forced into the respective glass tubes at certain depths. The scale for the first gage-glass, 12 is marked p and that of the second The scale for the third gage-glass is shown at the side of Fig. 3, and is marked r At the bottom of casings is situated a metal plate or disk, t, with a pad of india-rubber, t at its upper side. This disk is retained in an approximately horizontal position by a not absolutely rigid rod, 23 engaging in a hole in a bracket -piece, If, fixed to the side ofthe casing, Figs. 8 and 9, and by a guide, as at i Fig. 3, working in a slot in the casing s. It is guided, also, by three slight projections or knobs, as at i projecting from itself to make an easyfit in the casing with about onesixteenth of an inch of free space all round it elsewhere, to allow sand or other solid parti cles to wash freely away without jamming the disk. A screw, it, works in the bottom end of the casing s, and when the gage-tubes are in position in the casing s, and secured therein by the cap -piece 8, by screwing up this screw t the india-rubber pad t is pressed against the ends of the tubes 2;", Q2, and 1, and effectually closes them air and water tight. t is a guard-piece to prevent the screw i from being accidentally fully withdrawn and lost. The brass tubes 1), q, and r, are shorter than the glass tubes 1), and 1-, so that their ends.

always remain open. The ends of the said brass tubes 1), q, and TllflVG screwed prolongations it upon them for adjusting the capacity of the said brass tubes to the correct degree relatively with the glass tubes, as by screwing these pieces a in one or the other direction the whole effective length of the brass tube is increased or diminished until the capacity is the proper multiple of the capacity of the glass tube'uscd in -connection with it, which must be specially measured in every case. By multiple I mean any whole number or proper or improper fraction. A as at a", is tied over the mouth of each of the tubes 1) q r, to prevent any air from escaping until all the water is expelled from the brass tubes as they are drawn up obliquely from the bottom of the sea. These pieces of cloth are shown'in Fig. 4, but not in the other figures.

The instrument, when in use, is attached to the sounding-line by a piece of strong plaited hemp rope, (sash cord or signal halyard,) 8 Fig. 1, about two fathoms long,

piece of cloth,

IIO

passed through the hole 3 in the cap-piece s at one end, and to the sounding-line at the other, and the sinker s is attached by a. simi lar but weaker rope or cord, 8 about two fathoms long, to the loop 12 at the bottom of an outer protecting-sheath, o, of galvanized iron, which is used to contain the instrument and protect it. The said instrument is fixed in the said sheath by a pin, 10, passing through holes in the said sheath and in the cap-piece s. The said pin w is retained in position by the spring-piece 'w and side horns, as at or a plain metal or hard-wood bolt kept in position by an india-rubber band passing through a hole in one end may be used. On this fastening being removed after taking a sounding, the gage may be withdrawn from the sheath '0. Holes are formed through the sheath '0 for the ingress of water, which passes by the slots 8 into the tubes 9 q r of the gages, and thence upward and over into the glass tubes of the gages. The water first overflows into the glass tube of the first gage, and thereafter, when a greater depth is reached, the water will be pressed into the glass tube of the second gage, and when a still greater depth is reached the water will be pressed into the glass tube of the third gage. Several round sectioned rings of india-rubber are put around the casing s, so as to form a padding between it and the outer sheath, 1). The cord or rope s'flbetween the sinker and the gage, ought to be so much weaker than that above as not to bearmore than "seventy or eighty pounds, so that in case of the sinker being caught by a rock or other obstacle the wire and pressuregage will come away, leaving the sinker behind it. When the depths to be tested are known to be all between certain moderate limits-as fifteen and one-half fathoms and forty and one-half fathomsa single gage on the same plan will suffice, with proper proportion'of the capacity of the brass tube to the capacity of the glass tube, as three to one, in

the case of the above example, or three and one-half to one if the smallest depth to be measured be eighteen and three-fourths fathoms and the greatest forty-four.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth objects of my invention are attained by the use of an elastic fiat-shaped bottle to show by the diminution of its volume the water-pressure to which it is subjected, and so to allow the depth to which it is sunk to be inferred.

Fig. 12 represents in elevation, and Fig. 13 in vertical section, an instrument constructed according to this part of my invention. The part which I call the elastic bottle is marked m. It is a very fiat approximately elliptic cylinder of sheet-brass, which may be of about fifteen inches long and two and one-half inches in longer diameter. This bottle at is furnished with a perforated plug, :20, communicating with the interior of the bottle 00 at its lower part, upon which plug the stopper m is screwed. This stopper is shown in its two positions in Figs. 14 and 15. In the position Fig. 14'the leather or india-rubber pad w in the stopper w" is pressed over the opening in the plug 00, and the passage to the interior of the bottle as closed. In the other position, Fig. 15, the stopper w is unscrewed,

so that the pad 00 is brought from over the opening in the plug 00, and communication with the interior of the bottle 90 is established by the opening in the said stopper 00 so that when the stopper is in this last-named position a-nozzle of a syringe or other like instrument may be inserted into the said passage, and water orother liquid passed into the said bottle until it is filled, when the stopper x will be screwed down to close the communication. A long fine tube, y, passes up from the bottom of the interior of the bottle 00, the said tube y being perforated at its lower end at y", and passing through a hole in the center of the top of the said bottle and into a strong inverted rigid brass bottle or chamber, as, with a dome-shaped top and a conical neck tapering to its mouth, to which the glass tube 2 is sealed. This glass tube z is closed at its lower end, and serves as a measuring-vessel.

When the gage is in use, the bottle at being filled with liquid, the pressure of the water through which the gage descends, pressing against the exterior of the said gage, forces more or less of the water through the opening y into and through the tube y, and therefrom it falls down into the glass tube z. The quantity of water in this tube, when the gage is brought to the surface, will indicate the depth to which it has descended, and a scale may be placed beside or attached to the said tube, which scale is graduated by experiment by aid of an apparatus for artificially producing water-pressures up to twenty or thirty atmospheres, or more. To prepare for a fresh cast the gage is turned upside down. The liquid which has been expelled runs from the glass tube 2 down to the dome-shaped bottom of the the bottle on, and by blowing in or out several times by the mouth, or by a hand-blower, the liquid is forced up through the pipe y into the elastic bottle or. To make sure that the whole of the liquid has thus been forced up, there is in the middle of the dome-shaped .top of the bottle 00* a well or hollow, m and the top open end of the tubey touches, or nearly so, the bottom of this hollow. The elastic bottlew ought to be nearly full of liquid when all the liquid is thus forced into it. The liquid may be either pure water or water with a little glycerine, to prevent trouble by freezing. The gage is fitted with a sheath or sheaths, provided with means for the ingress of water, and is attached to the sounding-line in the same manner as described with regard to the gage, Figs. 3 to 7. This elastic bottle-gage may be advantageously used in combination with the single, double, or triple air-compression gage, hereinbefore "upper part.

caliber than the lower part, m, the whole lined within with chromate of silver or other preparation for marking, and being closed at top and open at bottom. The upper part, m is made of constant length. (I have chosen one foot in my trials hitherto.) The lower part, m, is cut to such a length that its volume bears a constant proportion to the volume of the If, for example, four to one be the chosen proportion, the sea-water is forced up through the lower part, m, of the tube during the descent from the surface of the water i to a depth of twenty-two fathoms, and at greater depths it is forced into the upper part, m of the tube to the same distance from the top as if the tube were of uniform bore of five feet in length. WVhen the sea-water has been forced into the narrow part of the tube, the whitening of the chromate of silver enables the depth to be read by a scale graduated to fathoms, the same scale serving for every tube. WVhen, on the other hand, it is found that the seawater has not been pressed beyond the wide part of the tube, the depth is read by aid of graduation on the glass itself.

1. In a deep-sea sounding apparatus, the combination, with the drum or reel A, of a frame, a a, in which said drum has its bearings, a box, 13, to receive said drum and frame, and provide for immersing the sounding-wire in a preservative liquid when not in use, and supports bib, for sustaining the frame and drum in operative position, as described.

2. The combination of the frame a u, having laterally-projecting feet a a, the supports b If, and beads or flanges to secure saidframe by its feet, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the frame a a, hav ing feet a a the supports 2) b and screws 1) I), substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the drum A, frame a, and box 13, of the brake-cord h, weights 9 i, or springs in lieu thereof, check-blocks j, and bead k, as and for the purposes explained.

5. The combination of the cord h, weights 9 t, check-blocks j, bead 7c, lugs 9 and stirrups g", as described.

6. The depth-gage consisting of a tube of adjustable capacity, with or without cloth to guard its lower end, and communicating at its upper end through a fine tubular passage with another tube capable of being closed and opened, and used for showing the depth by the quantity of water forced into it, essentially as described and represented.

7. A depth-gage consisting of the combinationof two, or three, or more, gages, wherein each succeeding tube by which the water enters bears an increasing ratio of capacity to its receivingtube, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this sp ecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM THOMSON. [L. s]

Witnesses:

J AMES SMITH BEGG,

115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow. WILLIAM BOTTOMLEY, J 1111.,

6 Rokeby Terrace, Hillhead. 

